Oneness

The tree needs the rain in order to produce acorns. The wild pig needs the acorns for food. The droppings of the wild pig fertilise the soil. As a result, the surrounding vegetation flourishes, which enables the soil to retain water for the tree. Hence there is no dependence or independence in the universe, but only interdependence. The universe is a vast tapestry in which every star, every creature, every rock, and every drop of water is an essential thread helping to hold all the other threads together.

~ from Chapter 1 of The Spirit of Tai-Chi: Essential Principles ~

A little less than one year ago I wrote a book review on this wonderful book by John Lash. I had checked it out from my local library to use on the Tao Te Ching series. When the time came to return the borrowed book, I vowed that I would one day purchase a copy of my very own. That turned out to be a bit harder than I thought because the book is no longer in print and the few used copies I had found were beyond my very modest book budget.

I kept checking various online booksellers and finally found a copy within my price range at Powell's Books out of Portland, Oregon. The book arrived yesterday in pristine condition!

Over the next few days, I will feature several passages from Chapter 1. Don't be surprised if you see many quotes from this book in the coming weeks and months! For me, Lash's prose reads like poetry and he has a marvelous gift for expressing many of the basic concepts of philosophical Taoism.